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Activate a Which-to-Choose Mindset

A single choice primes people to make more choices.

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Nick Kolenda
Last updated November 19, 2024
Interface asking users to choose a preferred shoe style

Overview

Which animal do you prefer?

Two pictures. One elephant, one hippo

In one study, people who answered this question were more likely to buy a computer (Xu & Wyer, 2008).

You can blame three stages of buying:

  • Stage 1: Whether to buy
  • Stage 2: Which to buy
  • Stage 3: How to buy

Any choice (elephant vs. hippo) activates a “which-to-choose” mindset. Customers skip the first stage of “whether” to buy, proceeding immediately to the second stage of “which” to buy.

Stating a preference appears to induce a which-to-buy mindset, leading people to think about which of several products they would like to buy under the implicit assumption that they have already decided to buy one of them. (Xu & Wyer, 2007, p. 564)

When you’re a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

When you make a choice, everything looks choosable.

  • Xu, A. J., & Wyer Jr, R. S. (2007). The effect of mind-sets on consumer decision strategies. Journal of Consumer Research, 34(4), 556-566.
  • Xu, A. J., & Wyer Jr, R. S. (2008). The comparative mind-set: From animal comparisons to increased purchase intentions. Psychological Science, 19(9), 859-864.